[mlewissmith]

(I wonder if this thread should be moved to the Technical/WiFi forum)

My 8820 (Orange UK) started making UMA connections a few days ago (21 Feb-ish) when connected to my home network. Since then my connectivity has been almost useless -- almost every time I make a call it fails, and I am rarely able to connect to the internet (browser, google maps, MidpSSH, SyncJe).

I connect via WiFi and the WiFi icon lights up, the GPRS indicator changes to UMA and all seems well -- for about 10 minutes, then the UMA indicator changes to uma (lower case) and nothing works at all. No voice, no data. Sometimes the handset freezes completely. Checking the Services Status shows:

Voice Services
Status: available
Connection: UMA
Blackberry Internet Service
Connection: not connected
...

But, oddly, on the Manage Connections screen, I have
(tick) Mobile Network (-)
(tick) WiFi (tick)


I've been in touch with Orange Data Support, whose first response was "Bloody hell, you shouldn't be getting UMA" (really) ; the next time they had me wipe my handset and restore from backup ; finally they recommended setting the
Connection Preference: Mobile Network Preferred

Well, this works -- sort of. Voice and emails come in over the mobile network and I can browse using the WiFi browser, but all my other network apps use the mobile network rather than WiFi

My ISP is idNet, not Orange, so I wonder if that has something to do with it.

Anyway, I don't have a solution, just a lot of frustration. But I feel a lot better for sharing, thankyou. This thread, and several others in the WiFi forum, suggest that orange's UMA is not entirely stable...

[James Hayman]

I am currently using an 8100 but would love to try out the UMA, can anyone tell me if I will need to have an orange branded 8120 (ie is there client SW to enable this) or can I simply use any unlocked 8120 provided I use an Orange SIM card with it.

I'd rather try it out with a PAYG card before signing my life away for 18 months!!

Cheers

[evansnathan]

Originally Posted by DJBoozy

When using your Wifi at home (or in wetherspoons, for that matter) - your NOT using your 6mb allowance, if your wifi symbol is black and white (I turned my GSM off, to test)

And.. an update on the UMA Thing:

I spoke to Orange customer releations (the canx department) about all the crap info the 156 people had dished out - he confirmed to me, when using UMA your are not using orange's connection whatsoever, and its all fed via wifi.

so the calls are free...

im going to make some test calls, and then speak to billing to see if they appear as unbilled useage ;)

Having recieved 2 months of bills now I have Buisness LAN charge for calls that I make at home which mostly go through the UMA as reception is aweful. I have questioned this with orange who explained:

Even though it is not going through GSM it is going through your internet connection, it works in the same way a GSM call going through your nearest antenna and then through the GSM network. So the internet is only the first leg in your phone calls journey

[Slippery Pete]

the response above is right... the bb is just a bearer and removes GSM from a certain leg of the journey. Its not about free calls but coverage, and no doubt they will sell you a bundle of minutes(at some point) when making calls through UMA.

[hegedusa]

This UMA thing is really winding me up. I am unable to have any call without distortion or just cutting off when at home, no matter which broadband service I use (I use two).

I phoned Orange and all they said was "It's a trial by your provider (not us) and we have no control over it". That was after them calling the dedicated blackberry team. Obviously they haven't got the foggiest idea.

Also, probably obviously, they don't allocate enough bandwidth at their "end" of the link. I use voip a lot and hardly ever get cut off or suffer poor quality. But UMA is basically voip, and it's unusable. The trouble is, that if I tell the blackberry that it's "mobile network preferred" rather than "wifi preferred", emails don't use the wifi, which means that sending emails is slower.

Even then, it sometimes routes calls over UMA.

[Jocrad]

Hi
I have at last managed to get UMA on my 8320 (BT broadband at home) and can make calls through UMA, though its fairly unreliable and will sometimes fail. I have a few questions can anyone help??

1) Since getting UMA, I dont seem to recieve texts while UMA is working - why??

2) what does it mean when you get uma instead of UMA?

3) Is it normal to lose the mobile network when wifi is on?

Sorry if i'm being blonde about this...... have an aversion to manuals and the ones i've read make me feel dizzy.

J

[ImpRex]

Originally Posted by mlewissmith

(I wonder if this thread should be moved to the Technical/WiFi forum)

My 8820 (Orange UK) started making UMA connections a few days ago (21 Feb-ish) when connected to my home network. Since then my connectivity has been almost useless -- almost every time I make a call it fails, and I am rarely able to connect to the internet (browser, google maps, MidpSSH, SyncJe).

I connect via WiFi and the WiFi icon lights up, the GPRS indicator changes to UMA and all seems well -- for about 10 minutes, then the UMA indicator changes to uma (lower case) and nothing works at all. No voice, no data. Sometimes the handset freezes completely. Checking the Services Status shows:

Voice Services
Status: available
Connection: UMA
Blackberry Internet Service
Connection: not connected
...

But, oddly, on the Manage Connections screen, I have
(tick) Mobile Network (-)
(tick) WiFi (tick)


I've been in touch with Orange Data Support, whose first response was "Bloody hell, you shouldn't be getting UMA" (really) ; the next time they had me wipe my handset and restore from backup ; finally they recommended setting the
Connection Preference: Mobile Network Preferred

Well, this works -- sort of. Voice and emails come in over the mobile network and I can browse using the WiFi browser, but all my other network apps use the mobile network rather than WiFi

My ISP is idNet, not Orange, so I wonder if that has something to do with it.

Anyway, I don't have a solution, just a lot of frustration. But I feel a lot better for sharing, thankyou. This thread, and several others in the WiFi forum, suggest that orange's UMA is not entirely stable...

I've had UMA on my 8320 when at home since I got it before Christmas. I use Orange Broadband and have an Orange Livebox.
lowercase uma has started to appear in the last week or so and has meant limited services - no JiveTalk, browser will only work as WiFi, no PIN messages.
Will maybe call Orange tomorrow but they're not the hottest on Blackberry service.

Guessing this is an Orange issue rather than handset issue.
Have done hard and soft reset, re-sent service books.

[pnp23]

Orange UK sales people sell the free calls on Wifi as a good feature when you want to buy, but when it doesnt work, you can not get any support as they will not do anything unless you have got orange broadband!

[wallacejack]

Hi guys! I am also new to blackberry and read al threads, but one thing I am still not sure:

When I am at home and my blackberry connected to my home broadband wifi network, will I be using my allowance (which by the way Orange upgraded from 6mb to 250mb! according to them)????

Can I set my blackberry to everytime it is in my home wifi range it get automatically to it, but remain to use the gsm network for calls? so i don't deteriorate calls quality?

Thanks,
Wallace

[orangezone.net]

Originally Posted by Joe Burns

I was thinking there was a possibility that Orange would have free UMA to UMA calls. We have offices all over the place, so this could give us a huge saving over all, as you can imagine.

Surely this type of call requires the same qualification as any voip service like skype? I know that adsl connections can only guarantee connection of one voip line at a time, and for those interested we had three clear lines connected with UMA while a PC was downloading a large file on a BT business broadband ADSL connection yesterday. Today, however, UMA is down again.

I know the connections are going through orange servers, due to the UMA info on the wifi diagnostics screen, but I am hoping that free calls between UMA devices will come in, if they havent already, as surely this requires less 'work' from the orange networking system?

I know we would be happy to pay for a hotspot at home type package for the phones to use UMA if orange decided to offer it.

Orange do, nice of them to keep you guys informed of your handsets features, Orange's UMA/wi-fi calls service are called Unique

5000 " Homezone " Unique minutes for £8.51 + VAT to 01/02/03 ( website needs updated to the new 03 prefix ) & Orange UK mobiles

Orange Business Services | Unique phone from Orange for home, work, personal

Personal customers get 1000 free " Homezone " Unique calls to 01/02/03 UK landlines, Orange UK and 30 international destinations for......FREE !!!
Unique from Orange - a home and mobile phone in one

" Homezone " being your wi-fi, all calls are routed over broadband to Orange servers, this allowing a better signal at home/office wifi or public hotspots, your bill states " homezone " when it comes over wi-fi and the call is charagable via your mobile plan rates unless you have the appropriate Business or Personal Unique bundle applied to your Orange mobile account

[orangezone.net]

Originally Posted by Wattie

I am thinking of getting an 8820 BB with Orange in the UK and found this doing a search for Orange to see what people thought of it.
Just out of interest, this feature where you can make calls over a Wi-fi connection, will it work in other countries? Being able to call for the cost of your usual calls from overseas would be a huge advantage.

No only the UK, calls from non UK will be charged your agreed international roaming rate as per you plan

[Casper TFG]

Well I bought an o2 Curve 8900

I was a tad upset that my research hadn't revealed that Orange was a UMA provider and o2 wasn't.

That said - while UMA functionality seems to be VERY important to people in the USA - UMA seems like a total PITA over here in the UK.

I was going to perhaps change networks to Orange to make use of UMA but now I think of it, my home internet (Sky) is always pizzing me off with slowness / patchy service, so the idea of it being 'relied on' for my business calls is worrisome..

[Casper TFG]

UPDATE:

OK I am able to move from o2 UK to Orange UK (to get the UMA) - but I cant figure out if that is a good idea or not.

I like to:
stream 2 hours of internet radio a day
forum surf
Do lots of emailing
I do very little or no file downloading
Google searches

Any tips for me?

Thanks in advance,

[gizmolisa2006]

quick heads up here, orange uk here, 8320 curve....on virgin cable ISP..and nothing down for UMA....lol

[moffmeister]

I have no mobile reception at home and found out about UMA by accident.

I can use my (company provided) BB as normal (receiving email from BES, voice calles etc).

With (uppercase) UMA all is dandy with the exception that voice calls are not reliable unless sat at my desk (where my WAP is).

(lowercase) uma is voice calls only?

This is the frustration with it - it just seems so sporadic e.g. I can use it fine for days (UMA) then it will suddenly default to uma for no apparent reason

Interestingly when at my mum's in France (and connected via her WiFi) I can make and receive calls to UK numbers on UMA?

Wish I knew how to get UMA (not uma) all the time.......There are some router settings on here somewhere which made it better.

[GraemeB]

Ok - doing a search on the UMA thing and found this thread...

Can someone clarify a couple of things ?

I'm on BT Broadband, and as I posted earlier, had UMA display icon until Saturday at which point it's now showing GPRS.

1. If I get UMA back, what exactly does that "give me" ? Do all calls go via BT Broadband, and therefore, are free - or do I get charged ?

2. When UMA isn't displayed, but I have black & white wifi display icon, and I surf using the BB - I presume the browsing activity does not count in my useable online minutes via Orange ?

3. Can someone explain UMA, as it's seems to be the Black Arts here for a noob !

Thanks